Richard b



R B. OWEN.

RUDDER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 8. 1-915.

Patented May 6, 1919.

NVENTOH WITNESSES RICHARD B. OWEN, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

RUDDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 6, 1919.

Application filed October 8, 1915. Serial No. 54,843.

To all whom. it may concern: I

Be it known that I, RICHARD B. OWEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Rudders, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention pertains to marine rudders and it is an object to provide arudder which may be fitted to and used in connection with a motor of theso called outboard type.

A further object is to provide a rudder of such form that it may beattached and used on various types of motors and which'may be operatedas the sole steering means or fitted to act in conjunction with apropeller arranged to be swung laterally todrive the boat in a course tobe steered, the rudder in this arrangement acting also to steer the boatwhen the power is out off and after the propeller has stopped, as forinstance in making a landing.

A still further object is in mounting the rudder in such a manner thatadjustment may be made to bring the rudder to the proper depth ofsubmergenoe and that as any obstruction may be struck, the rudder willbe raised and ride up over the same and will again return to itsoperative position.

With other objects in view, which will be referred to, my inventionconsists in the: particular construction and novel arrangement of partswhich will be hereinafter described in connection with the accompanyingdrawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an outboardmotor with the invention fitted in place thereon.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the steering oke. y Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional view through one of the supports taken on the line3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken on the line 4.4 of Fig. 1 to betterillustrate the construction of the rudder proper.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a modified form of supportwith parts in section.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

And Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail sectional view.

In the type of motor illustrated in the drawings, the motor 1 is mountedwith the crank shaft disposed to revolve on a vertical axis. A housing 2depends from the crank case 3 of the engine around the lower end of thecrank shaft and at this lower end carries a housing 4, the propellershaft on which the propeller 5 is mounted being disposed at right anglesto the crank shaft of the motor and the main drive shaft extendingtherefrom and connected to drive the propeller shaft in a suitablemanner.

In the present disclosure, the propeller 5 is illustrated as of thereversible type in which the blades 6 may be swung around their centralaxes to changethe angular disposition and the pitch, thus accomplishinga reversal of theaction of the propeller on the water, and the operatingrod 7 is shown as extending out substantially parallel with the housing2 and connected at its upper end to an operating handle 8. Wheresteering of the motor is accomplished by swinging the propellerlaterally from the one side to the other to vary the angle at which thesame drives with respect to the line of longitudinal extent of the boat,this handle 8 may also be used to turn the housing 2 by which the case 4in which the propeller shaft is mounted may be turned.

The supports 9 and 10 as illustrated in the disclosure in Fig. 1 areconstructed of two members, better illustrated in Fig. 3, and thesemembers may be clamped around the housing 2 in an operative relation andsecured thereto by the bolts 11 and 12. Each of the members of thesupports 9 and 10, is cut away to form the opening 13 through which theoperating rod 7 may work, and each of the members contains a half of theorifice 14 through which a rudder post 15 is mounted to be capable ofturning and endwise sliding movement.

As shown in Fig. 1, the supports 9 and'lO are mounted at spaced pointson the housing 2 and asthe rudder post 15 is passed through the orifices14; of each of thesupports, this rudder post is disposed in a verticallyextending relation parallel with the housing 2. A rudder 16 constructedof sheet metal or other suitable material is secured on the lower end ofthe rudder post15, this rudder being cut away at 17 to clear thepropeller, and the lower end formed on a gradual incline at 18. In theform shown in Fig. 1, a

collar 19 is disposed around the rudder post 15 above one of thesupports and is held in place by a set screw or bolt 20, thus holdingthe rudder post adj-ustedto give the rudder the proper depth ofsubmergence.

The upper end of the rudder post is squared at 21 and a yoke 22 has asquared orifice 23 to fit over this squared portion of the rudder post,a nut 24 being threaded on to the extreme uppermost portion of therudder post to secure the yoke in place' The ends of the yoke 22 haveholes formed therethrough to receive a line 25 or other suitableactuating means.

Where it is desired that the motor be connected to operate inconjunction with a laterally swinging propeller, the supports 9 and 10together with the remaining parts will be mounted as set forth and theset screws or bolts 26 mounted in the supports 9 and 10 to extend intothe orifice 14 are tightened to prevent turning of the rudder.

' screws 26 are turned to the operative relation, it is preferable thatthe rudder post 15 have key way slots 27 formed longitudinal thereofinto which the set screws 26 will fit and which will hold the post'against turning and yet permit vertical sliding move ment.

While the collar 19 fitted around the rudder post 15 may present perhapsthe most simple form of stop, yet in some instances it may be desirableto support the lower end of the rudder post in a bearing, and underthese conditions a separate supporting and bearing member 28, asillustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, may be provided to be received around thehousing 2 and clamped in place by the bolt 29, this member 28 having astep bearing 30 formed thereon to receive the projecting lower end 31 ofthe rudder post. With this modified construction, when the rudderstrikes an. obstruction the same action will take place and the rudderpost 15 will move endwise upwardly through the supporting members topermit the rudder to ride over the obstructiqn after which the weight ofthe structure will again return the rudder to the operative relation andthe projecting end 31 ofthe rudder post will again set in the stepbearing 30.

In the type of motor to which my invention is fitted in the drawings, asleeve 32 is received around the upper end of the housing 2 to becapable of movement on the hous- .ing and to permit extension thereof toadjust relative disposition of the propeller gear housing 4 with respectto the crank case 3, and a clamp bolt 33 is provided on the lower end ofthis sleeve 32 to permit rigid mounting of the sleeve in connection withthe housing 2, it of course being understood that the crank shaft isalso made extensible. The adjustment of the rudder can be accomplishedby changing the disposition of the collar 19 which is fitted around therudder post 15. The housing 32 is mounted on the lower crank casebearing 34 to be capable of free turning movement and the steeringhandle 8 is connected with this sleeve so that as the steering handle isswung to the one side or the other, the sleeve 32 will becorrespondingly turned and through the fastening of this sleeve on thehousing 2, the propeller will be swung with the movement of the handleto accomplish a steering action. When it is desired to secure the sleeve32 to hold the propeller in a relation to drive in a forward direction,the set screw or bolt mounted in the sleeve 32 may be tightened againstthe bearing 34 and sleeve 32, housing 2, and consequently the steeringmembers 9 and 10 will be held against turning or side swinging movementand in this setting of the parts the rudder may be used as anindependent and the sole steering means. hen the propeller is to beswung to accomplish the steering and the rudder is to be used as anauxiliary steering means, the set screw 35 is released from its setposition and the set screw or bolt 26 is brought to an operativeposition and with the parts arranged in this manner, turning of thehandie 8 will cause the sleeve 32 and housing 2 to be turned on thecentral axis and through the fact that the steering members 9 and 10 aresecured to the members32 and 2, the rudder 16 will be given a likeswinging action and will at all times extend in line with the axis ofthe propeller shaft.

While I have herein shown and described only specific forms ofmyinvention, it will be understood that slight changes might be resortedto in the formation and arrange ment of the parts without departing fromthe spirit and scope of my invention .as claimed, and hence I do notwish to be limited to the exact construction and details hereindescribed in the specification.

I claim l. A rudder to be fitted on and used with an outboard motorconstructed to be used selectively as the sole steering means and to beheld to act in conjunction with a swinging propeller as auxiliarysteering means, and means to be adjustablyset with respect to parts ofthe rudder to limit the downward movement of the rudder to adjust thesame to the proper depth of submergence 2. A rudder having the loweredge thereof cut away in a gradual incline to ride up over anyobstruction which may be encountered, means to mount the rudder to becapable of raising and lowering movement in a vertical path, and meansin the form of the collar and set screw to be adjustably set to limitdownward movement of the rudder to hold the same in the proper depth ofsub mergence.

3. A rudder having the lower edge thereof cut away on a gradual inclineto ride up over any obstruction which may be encountered, means to mountthe rudder in conjunction with an outboard motor and arranged to permitraising and lowering of the rudder in a vertical path when fitted inposition for use to accomplish the desired purpose, and means to limitdownward movement of the rudder to maintain the same in the properoperative relation.

4. A rudder to be used as an attachment with an outboard motor having asteering post extending upwardly therefrom, supporting members clampedto the structure of the outboard motor and having the rudder post passedtherethrough to be capable of endwise sliding movement freely whenfitted in the position for use, and means to limit the movement of therudder post within the supporting members to hold the rudder in theproper adjusted position.

5. A rudder to be used with an outboard motor having a steering postextending upwardly therefrom, supporting members clamped to thestructure of the outboard motor and having the rudder post passedtherethrough to be capable of endwise sliding movement, means to operatethe rudder to accomplish an independent steering action, and means tosecure the rudder to act in conjunction with the swinging structure ofthe outboard motor.

6. A rudder to be used as an attachment with an outboard motorcomprising a mid i der blade provided with an upwardly extending rudderpost and said blade at its forward edge shaped to fit over the propeller, the lower edge of the rudder blade shaped on a gradual inclineto rise over 0bstructions which may be encountered, means in which therudder post is slidably mounted arranged to be fitted on the structureof the outboard motor to support the rudder and post in a position foruse and to be capable of up and down movement in a vertical path, andmeans to limit the downward movement of the rudder and to maintain thesame in a position to clear the propeller and in the proper depth. ofsubmergence.

7. A rudder to be used with an outboard motor having portions of thestructure arranged to swing the propeller to accomplish a steeringaction and said rudder provided with an upwardly extending steeringpost, supporting members mounted around said steering post to permitsliding thereof and connected with a swinging part of the motorstructure, means to support the rudder at the proper point, means toactuate the rudder independently to accomplish a steering action, andmeans to secure the rudder post against turning movement within, thesupporting members in a relation that the rudder is carried by theswinging of the propeller and accomplishes an auxiliary steering action.

8. A rudder to be used with an outboard motor having portions of thestructure arranged to swing the propeller to accomplish a steeringaction and said rudder provided with an upwardly extending steeringpost, supporting members mounted around said steering post to permitsliding thereof and connected with "a swinging part of the motorstructure, means to support the rudder at the proper point, means toactuate the rudder independently to accomplish a steering action, meanscarried by the supporting members to secure the rudder post againstturning movement and in a relation to swing with the swinging of thepropeller, and all of said parts so arranged that as obstructions may beencountered by the rudder the rudder post will have upward slidingmovement through the supporting members and upon passing theobstructions the rudder will again fall to an operative relation.

9. The combination with an outboard mo tor of a drive shaft housingmounted to be capable of turning movement to swing the propellerlaterally to accomplish steering action, a rudder, means to mount therudder on said housing to be capable of independent swinging movementand to permit up and down movement of the rudder, and means to securethe rudder against said independent movement and to swing with thepropeller.

10. The combination with an outboard motor of a drive shaft housingmounted to be capable of turning movement to swing the propellerlaterally to accomplish steering action, a rudder, means to mount therudder on said housing to be capable of independent swinging movementand to permit up and down movement of the rudder, means to secure saidhousing against turning movement when the parts are to be set for use ofthe rudder as the sole steering means, and means to secure the rudder toturn with the housing to act as auxiliary steering means.

11. The combination with an outboard motor of a drive shaft housingmounted to be capable of turning movement to swing the propellerlaterally to accomplish steering action. a rudder, means to mount therudder on said housing to be capable of independent swinging movementand to permit up and down movement of the rudder, means to secure saidhousing against turning movement to permit use of the rudder as the solesteering means, means to secure the rudder to turn with the housing toact as auxillary steering means, and means to limit down Ward movementof the rudder to hold the 10 ing propeller as auxiliary steering means,

and means to be adjustably set with respect to the part of the rudder tolimit the independent downward movement of the rudder with respect tosaid swinging propeller.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature 15 in presence of twowitnesses.

RICHARD B. ()VEN. lVitnesses IDALENE T. Coon, FLOYD PATCH.

Copies of this patent may be obteinedifor five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

